"Let Iran Destroy LA?" Trump's Remarks Spark Controversy

U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked controversy with remarks suggesting that it would not matter even if Iran destroys Los Angeles and San Diego.

According to The New York Times and Reuters on the 6th (local time), President Trump said during a speech in Nebraska yesterday regarding price increases caused by the war with Iran that prices are a little high because of the war, and that this is a small price to pay.

He added that it is a small price to pay to keep the world and the country safe, and told them to let Iran destroy LA or San Diego.

Although President Trump did not specify who "they" referred to in his speech, interpretations emerged that the remark was made in the process of explaining the justification for the war with Iran, implying that it could not be helped even if Iran attacked those cities.

Backlash erupted in some quarters, with critics asking whether his comments were comparing a potential Iranian attack on U.S. cities to a small price worth enduring for national security.

Fierce reactions poured in immediately from the political circle in California, where the two cities are located.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, considered a potential Democratic presidential candidate, issued a statement through the congressional publication The Hill, claiming that President Trump is suffering from a mental illness and that it is time to invoke the 25th Amendment.

The 25th Amendment is a provision outlining procedures and requirements for the vice president and others to assume the powers of the president.

In a separate YouTube video today, Governor Newsom called the remarks very dangerous and insane, and effectively demanded the invocation of the 25th Amendment by telling Vice President JD Vance, the administration, and the Republican leadership to do what they need to do.

Senator Alex Padilla, who is from LA, raised his voice on X, calling for the 25th Amendment immediately.

LA Mayor Karen Bass also stated that a U.S. president had suggested that a foreign government attack LA, calling his remarks targeting their city dangerous and a potential threat to safety.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria urged that it is by no means a small price to pay, calling for their city to be left out of reckless war rhetoric.

Criticism continued within the Republican Party as well.

Jim Desmond, a Republican running for the U.S. House of Representatives in California, distanced himself by stating that he strongly opposes President Trump's remarks and that no American city can be sacrificed.

Observations are being raised that President Trump's latest remarks could become a negative factor in the midterm elections less than a month away.

As the controversy grew, the White House issued a harsh rebuttal.

The White House explained via its official X account that President Trump was simply speaking about the threat from Iran, and that the hallucinating media blew the controversy out of proportion with zero basis in reality.

It added that President Trump made it clear that U.S. cities would have been threatened if he had not blocked Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

An atmosphere of concern is spreading within the Republican Party that this controversy will not help in the elections.

Rob Stutzman, a California Republican strategist, pointed out that while the intent may have been to rally the base, the core narrative of this situation is that Republican candidates facing tough reelection battles must distance themselves from the president, noting that one of the biggest problems facing the Republicans is that the party's president is out of his mind.

The argument to invoke the 25th Amendment against President Trump was previously raised during the January 6 Capitol riot in 2021, and following the launch of the second administration, former CIA Director John Brennan argued for its application in a media interview last April.

(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.